Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-08-02
DENYING THE CHARGES.
The Head of the Agricui,
tural Department has
His Innings.
Resisting Complaints Concerning the
Tobacco Crop---Growls from
Bulls and Bears.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1.-Statistician
Dodge, of the department Of agriculture,
In an interview published in Tho Post
answers a serious charge made against
the department by sone southern jour
nails to the effect that it has in q recent
report overestimated the acreage Of the
tobacco leaf crob. The result of this, it
In said, is to keep prices down and wrong
fully transfer millions Of money from
holders to consumers from American
Mr.. Dodge In his interview does not
mince matters, but stands up to his
estimate. He said:
We know that in some states the to-
baoco leaf acreage this year is smaller
than last year, but we are quite confident
the reduction is not SO large as the critics
claim. The estimate referred to, and
which was published from the agricul-
turai department at the LIST of July, put
the tobacco acreage in the several tobacco
states at from five to thirty per cent less
than last year. We think that is about
the figure u estimates were
based upon 1t being the first set
of reports received upon the to-
bacco planting and a few weeks hence
we shall have another set of reports and
issue an estimate which we hope will be
as. X as it Is possible to make it.
But up to the present time / should
suppose that we have been as well equip
ped to make a.reliable estimate as any
private person or any newspaper can be.
1t has always been Hificult to get relia-
bic statistics of the tobacco crop. 1t is
the one crop upon which a heavy tax is
levied. No tobacco leaf can be sold by
the farmer before a tax of eight cents
per pound is paid upon it. The tax
amounts to as much as the cured tobacco
on the farm is worth. OF course, the
tax is paid by the dealer and not by the
farmer, but Notwithstanding that, the
fact remains that On account of the tax
1t is difficult to get at the exact amount
of the crops The farmer does not want
to tell you up to the full figure. AS a
general rule the reports we have re-
ceived have largely under estimated the
crops and do not think we have over
estimated in this case as we are accused.
Whatever inaccuracy we may have fallen
into is more likely to be on the other
side.
The Louisville .Courier-Journal ac-
SSHNa sAS N6S q VI a II LII III bhC tODdCCO
trade. i fancy the agricu ltural depart
ment is as well informed and as disinter-
ested as any firm in the tobacco trade.
But we are just now sending out special
circulars to the tobacco counties in re-
Spouse to which we expect to have. full
and accurate Information next month. ]
have no doubt that there are farmers Ia
the tobacco trade who hold that our es-
innate is much too small as these other
cities hold it to be much too large. When
asked If speculation or spectators were
not at the bottom of these complaints.
Mr.. Dodge replied;.
There are Spectators, you know, bulls
and bears in the tobacco trade Just az
there are in wheat trade. Some of the
corner men who fell under the avalanche
of wheat in Chicago the other day have
witten to me to say that the wheat crop
In the northwest must nave been much
larger han the department estimates, II
came into Chicago in much larger euan-
titles thar the spectators had expected,
and at last they could not command
enough money to buy it all up, and go
they had to collapse. 70 buy up all the
wheat in the northwest was too big a Job
for the syndicate who undertook It. The
wheat crop of the northwest amounts to
hundreds of millions of bushels and those
who undertook to buy it all up were
swamped when three or four million
bushels came in with unexpected. rapid
ity. We are always receiving complaints
that our estimates are too high and from
bears thatthey are too low, but generally
we are as able To judge as either Of the
bulls or the bears.